D&D Technology

Andor · May 19, 2006

There are a lot of world changing technologies that shouldn't properly exist in the sort of high midieval world mosr campaigns like to portray, but that often sneak in because the just seem so basic to us. Which ones got your goat?

I'll start off with two:
The button
The decimal point

Whizbang Dustyboots · May 19, 2006

I don't believe most games are actually set in anything like the realistic high medieval ages any more, if they ever were. (If folks are, I'm told the Green Ronin Medieval Player's Manual is pretty spiffy.)

In any case, in a world that can summon elemental monoliths to lay waste to enemy nations, I have no trouble believing that some extraplanar being summoned from Sigil or whatever said "hey, if you don't make me go fight that guy, I'll tell you all about this amazing technology we have, called the butt-oon."

Likewise, the decimal point was invented in the 8th or 9th century. I don't play Dungeons & White Guys, so I have no problem with better-than-Dark Ages math and the like. (Repeat the above scenario, but have it be a genie. Done.)

Of course, I also explicitly decided to stop worrying about fidelity that inherently cannot coexist with D&D magic and have Renaissance-level technology and better, when it makes for a fun game. (Like a heliograph system/Clacks.)

Tonguez · May 19, 2006

The Steam Engine was known to the ancient greeks, the parthians had a battery and the egyptians may have had a Tesla Coil like device.

So Collosal Steam Powered Constructs throwing lightning bolts at giagantic firebreathing reptiles sounds just fine to me from a historic perspective - or maybe not

Tinker Gnome · May 19, 2006

Hehe, I have no problem with pretty much anything in my DnD game. I mean, The Gnomes have nuclear power powering their main city IMC. Albeit there are a couple of meltdown threats every once in a while...but eh they dont really care.

Clueless · May 19, 2006

The Romans had piped water, and were known to have vending machines. The way I figure it in those fantasy worlds, the tech level is explained by not having as strong a Dark Ages (it's called that for a reason) as Europe did. Essentially the society became more fuedalistic but the tech didn't in my way of thinking.

Tinker Gnome · May 19, 2006

Clueless said:
The Romans had piped water, and were known to have hydrolic vending machines. The way I figure it in those fantasy worlds, the tech level is explained by not having as strong a Dark Ages (it's called that for a reason) as Europe did. Essentially the society became more fuedalistic but the tech didn't in my way of thinking.

Woah, can I have some info on the vending machines?

Clueless · May 19, 2006

I just editted my post to include the reference but here it is again: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hero_of_Alexandria

sjmiller · May 19, 2006

Toggles and buttons of horn actually date back to well before the early medieval period, they were just not excessively common. Cloth buttons, where you take a square of cloth and stitch and stuff it to make a button, also dates back to the early ages of medieval German clothing. Look carefully at early medieval artwork, especially mosaics, urns, and frescos, and you will see lots of people wearing buttons. The myth of no buttons before the Renaissance is just that, a myth. I do not have any of my history of costume books handy, or I would cite more specific examples.

Jim Hague · May 19, 2006

Remember, folks - primitive does not equal stupid. Man, I'd forgotten about the holy water machine. Hero rocks.

Clueless · May 19, 2006

I find the note about the steam turbine and pistons that he had more interesting. He just never put the two inventions together, but if he had...

D&D Technology

Andor

First Post

Whizbang Dustyboots

Gnometown Hero

Tonguez

A suffusion of yellow

Tinker Gnome

Explorer

Clueless

Webmonkey

Tinker Gnome

Explorer

Clueless

Webmonkey

sjmiller

Explorer

Jim Hague

First Post

Clueless

Webmonkey

Similar Threads